


Didn't see that coming

by von_gikkingen



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), F/M, Gen, Magic, Post-Battle of Sokovia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-03 21:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20459837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/von_gikkingen/pseuds/von_gikkingen
Summary: He says nothing, just regards us, the tunics that look culturally wrong on most of us and our expressions, more worried than exhausted now that we have no scary metal hostiles to distract us from the fact we were in so much trouble with the people who told us, repeatedly, that our responsibility is to protect this reality not to intervene with any little thing we saw on the news.Should we be here? Definitely not. Were we regretting we helped evacuate the very confused Sokovians through hurriedly opened portals? DEFINITELY NOT.How were we to know that SHIELD would pull it together and actually do their jobs...?





	Didn't see that coming

**Author's Note:**

> I mean does anyone like that Pietro Maximoff is dead?  
Yeah... fixed that... the only way I know how - threw magic at the problem because, well, isn't magic the best? The way it just fixes EVERYTHING...

“Why does ridiculously hot for a Slavic stereotype keep looking at you?” asks one of my fellow sorcerers.

“I think I might have saved him from being shot full of bullets by one of the hostiles.”

“They were robots. Stop trying to make it seem normal by calling them _hostiles_,” pipes up another one of our group. “They were robots and they were trying to turn the city into an asteroid and…”

“And then there were wizards,” comments an unfamiliar voice, making us all turn to its source. In an action weirdly synchronized for a bunch of people that had some trouble even staying upright at this point. "I'm not gonna lie. No one saw _that _coming."

“Isn't that the arrow guy…?” asks a battered looking sorceress in a hushed tone.

“It is indeed the arrow guy,” I hear Galina reply, in a theatrical whisper that misses the right volume by miles - very much on purpose. “Also the guy who appears to be able to take absolutely anything in his stride. Is that like a superpower…?”

He says nothing, just regards us - the tunics that look culturally wrong on most of us and our expressions, more worried than exhausted now that we have no scary metal hostiles to distract us from the fact we were in _so much trouble_ with the people who told us, repeatedly, that our responsibility is to protect this reality not to intervene with any little thing we saw on the news.

But as has been stated about five seconds before we collectively decided to ignore that very important rule our boss really wasn’t one to talk – since we all knew that when chitauri rolled into town she was on the roof, helping them off their flying machines. Should we be here? Definitely not. Were we regretting we helped evacuate the very confused Sokovians through hurriedly opened portals? _Definitely not_. How were we to know that SHIELD would pull it together and actually do their jobs...?

“So you people are magic? Am I getting that right?” asks the man I definitely heard called _Hawkeye_. By people. To his face.

“We are,” nods the sorcerer to my left. “We are also not supposed to let people know we’re magic. Because god forbid it became public knowledge and we got influx of people who wanted to learn and maybe help us defend…”

“We’d get influx of idiots who’d want to wave wands to make their muggle problems disappear and you know it,” interrupts another member of our group of renegade sorcerers.

I’d join in but that’s when Galina tugs at my sleeve to get my attention. “What is it?” I sigh. And don’t even need her to say it because as I follow her line of sight I know exactly what she’s about to tell me. “Look, I said this already – I opened a portal between him and bullets that were definitely going to kill him. Can you stop pointing it out to me? Most people look at us like we’re, you know, _the weirdest thing that happened to them all day_…”

“That would be the murderous AI and you know it,” she grins. “And I’m pretty sure no one else is mentally undressing you.”

“I mean I know what mood high stress situations put you in but _seriously_,” I say, shaking my head. Because it needs to be said. I love her to death but her MO is impossible not to remark on. The second we scare off otherdimensional monster of the week and patch up the holes it left in our reality she’s busy looking for someone willing to help her out of her clothes. It has been explained to me time and again that she needs horrible days that leave scars on her psyche to end on a good note – which always sounded like a reasonable explanation, really. Me, I just needed them to end… 

“He’s really hot, though,” she remarks – on the off chance I missed that. “And we’re in so much trouble that you might as well…”

I just laugh. A touch hysterically and I can hear it myself. What I don’t seem to be able to do is stop. Because it’s easy enough to say that none of this makes any sense – not the girl whose powers half of us still suspect of being some weird variation of what we can do, not the AI that was apparently created using yet another goddamn Infinity stone and not the artificial man I saw soaring overhead earlier, while hurrying the panicked people of Sokovia through a portal leading into safety…

“I know,” says Galina as she hugs me to her so I can stifle the laughter against her shoulder. “It’s a mess. And not the kind of mess we’re used to so you’re overreacting. See, _this_ is why you need a coping mechanism.”

I’d reply but the serious tone in which she said the words, as though speaking as an expert in healthy coping, just had me erupt in laughter all over again. “Because fucking a stranger will make it all better,” I utter under my breath.

“You don’t know it’ll make it worse,” she points out even as she steps back to take in my expression. "And I honestly don't see a scenario where fucking _that _stranger wouldn't make things a lot better. I mean just look at him."

I do. I glance his way and our eyes meet for just a moment and I consider it for about a second before remembering who I am and what I am and am not capable of.

Catching that Galina just shakes her head at me, mumbling something that definitely has the word _disappointed _in it. I just roll my eyes and try to focus on the conversation still going on around us – that has currently a lot to do with the fact confused people overrun by robots are anything but reliable witnesses and the odds are we didn’t blow our order’s cover as completely as we thought we did. Which is reassuring to hear. It also might only make sense because I’m exhausted half to death and I need good news so badly I’m willing to manufacture some. So I nod in agreement when some low level SHIELD lackey starts talking damage control. Because there’s nothing better than to have someone else volunteer to take care of problems that only exist because you and your friends are a bunch of idiots who thought that, hey, _what if we broke the only important rule we have…?_

“Hydra? Fuck off… like that’s still a thing…” I hear Galina say, an edge of laughter to her words. It’s only then I realize I might have been spacing out so hard I missed some part of this conversation. Because how the hell did the subject change to Hydra?

“So she’s _definitely _not magic?” I hear someone join in as my frown deepens.

“What the hell are we talking about?” I ask no one in particular.

“Glowy hands and tracksuit. Apparently she’s not really magic,” explains the same sorcerer, his expression growing very _told you so_.

“But they _are_ Avengers, though, right?” asks another one. As though this was a very important question that definitely needed answering before we could move on to other subjects.

“I recruited them myself,” says Hawkeye seeming borderline amused by the turn the conversation have taken.

I open my mouth to say something only to realize that I don’t have the energy to, even if I had a good answer to that. I don’t have the energy to ask any of the people I know for a fact have _mystic powers_ when did they start caring about who is and isn’t dressing up to fight major threats to our species safety. Or, as was the case this time, creating them…

“Excuse me,” I say to one of the SHIELD people that had us surrounded. “I know how crowded this thing is but… Is there any chance there is an unoccupied room one might go into for a few minutes to… you know… _scream_?”

The woman blinks at me in surprise, takes a second to process my question, and then, as a true pro she obviously is just gives me an answer. And I could hug her. But I don’t – too busy taking inconspicuous steps backward to detach myself from my group. Because I have this terrible suspicion that if I stay near them any longer I’ll end up with completely wrong priorities too, wondering about the newest Avengers lineup and whatnot.

I knew _why _they were doing it, same as I knew why Galina walked out of most of otherdimensional battlefields horny. I just refused to participate.

No, I made my choice. Screaming it was…

…

“Did the Ancient One finally showed up to send us to our rooms? Oh… you’re not Galina,” I realize, taking a better look at the person outlined in the door to the gloomy storage room where I spent some twenty minutes now.

The tall Sokovian says nothing, only walks over and sits down on the floor beside me. Which is slightly closer than I want him to be because, dammit, Galina was right. He _is_ ridiculously hot for a Slavic stereotype…

“Who’s the Ancient One?” he asks. So conversationally that I immediately forget I was on the brink of letting him know I was in an empty room for a reason and really didn’t feel up to talking.

“The current Sorcerer Supreme,” I sigh, then glance at the door he left ajar and spare a second to mourn the perfect, soothing darkness I was surrounded by before the light from the corridor outside started to interfere. “The person that's going to tell us she's not angry - only _extremely disappointed_. As soon as we dare show our faces back in the temple,” I sigh.

“For what it’s worth if you’re going to get into trouble…”

“We might as well save lives while we’re at it…?” I finish for him, sensing that's the punchline he's headed for. “Yeah – I don’t regret a single thing I did today. That’s not what this is. I just… stuff is really complicated with our order,” I end up saying. Because when in doubt go with needlessly vague.

“I'm sorry,” he says and to my surprise proceeds to stretch down on the floor beside me.

And I want to tell him this is _my_ gloomy storage room and he needs to find his own, I really do, but... He is probably no less exhausted than I am and so no matter how little I want company right now I bite my tongue.

As the seconds stretch I find I don’t mind him being here. His silence doesn’t really interfere with my own. The sound of his breathing is calming my frayed nerves in a strange way. Even when I can tell, by some minute change in his body language I only catch from the corner of my eye, that he’s about to speak again I don’t feel like I’d rather be wallowing in mental exhaustion without any witnesses. “I used to be scared of witches,” he tells me.

I chuckle. “Of course you were. My best friend is from hereabouts. I know all about _Baba Yaga_,” I explain when he turns his head to the side to look at me. “Pretty sure she only joined the order so she knew some magic to help her fight her off.”

I’d add a sentiment about the weird habit of making sure that every child knows that a cannibalistic witch is definitely coming for them one of these days but then I hear him laugh and I can’t bring myself to.

Maybe because I know exactly what a close call it was. How literally he dodged a bullet – or a dozen – today. And so I just listen to his laughter in the gloom of this claustrophobic room on a ridiculously oversized flying vessel someone like me really shouldn’t be aboard of. And no, I can no longer muster any doubts about whether or not I did the right thing today. If I wasn’t here, defying my orders and saving lives, he’d be dead now. And I might be glad of that for all the wrong reasons but... Whatever. I’m only human.

“You know… I don’t think I ever caught your name,” I realize. And when I turn to meet his eyes I can tell he doesn’t know my name either, obviously, because when was there time for that…?

Which would make us two complete strangers. Alone in a very small space…

And I don’t know what is worse – that I’m thinking about it or that I can tell he’s _definitely_ thinking about it. But, no, the worst of all is that I really wish he didn’t leave the door opened.

“I really don’t have the energy. You might not know this, being a muggle, but magic takes a lot out of you,” I say before I can stop myself – because they _are _opened and that's enough to make me think rather than just go ahead and act.

“I’m sorry,” he replies.

And he means it. Means it for all the wrong reasons and I don’t even mind because there is just something about his smile. The word _irresistible_ comes to mind. Though that might be only because I can’t resist…

…

“If anyone asks we were using unapproved Stark Industries tech to open the portals,” says Galina when she sees me approach. “And before you say anything, yes we do know how stupid that sounds and yes the public _will_ buy it. I mean they’re already dealing with sentient AI running amok. We’re probably just a footnote no one will pay that much attention to.”

“Unless they come from Sokovia. These guys are ready to proclaim us national heroes…” joins in another one of our little _we’re in so much trouble with the order _squad. And he’s beaming, because of course he is. Who doesn’t like being called a hero…?

“Very grateful, aren't they?” says Galina and she might as well have added a few suggestive winks for good measure because she’s a lot of things right now – and _subtle_ failed to make the list.

“I didn’t do anything,” I say, lowering my voice and really hoping she’ll take her cue from me.

“Then you’re an idiot as well as a liar. Because you did _something_. It’s all over your face,” she smirks. “Spill.”

“Galina,” I sigh, putting on my best _why are you like this? _expression.

“I said _spill_. Or do you want me to start guessing…?”

Which was a good point. Definitely the last thing I wanted. And so I just sigh and tell her. Not even surprised when I see the disappointment on her face. “How are we friends?” she says eventually, shaking her head. “You don’t just kiss someone like that and walk away. Especially when you already have him in a tiny, tiny storage room. I mean, seriously, how often does a chance like that present itself…?”

“Almost never,” I say even though it’s utterly unnecessary. With our commitments it’s all magic all the time and so rarely anything like this – so yeah, she has a point. If I had the energy I’d be disappointed in myself too. But I _really _don’t.

“Tell you what…” she starts and it’s really all I need to hear.

“_No_,” I says only. And seeing her open her mouth again I add, “Not even if you promise me you’ll be the one to try to explain to the Ancient One what the hell we were thinking. Just drop it.”

“I will do no such thing,” says Galina darkly and I have to grin.

“You’re such an idiot.”

“Yeah. You turn down _that_,” she says, pointing and being anything but inconspicuous about it, “and I’m the idiot.”

I say nothing, just narrow my eyes at her. Which she proceeds to completely ignore because of course. That would be our dynamic in a nutshell…

“Well, I guess this means it’s time to go home.”

And somehow even that feels like a comment on me and my attitude. I just give her a look and start through the portal back to Kamar Taj the second someone manages to summon enough mental focus to open one.

Because there’s time to be a hero and then there’s time to face up to the consequences.

…

“How are we not in more trouble...?” I ask no one in particular. Because whatever just happened simply did _not_ feel like the kind of reaction we should have gotten.

The only thing I had to console myself with was that she told one of us – the Slavic idiot who technically did instigate this little exercise in letting people know magic was a thing – to stay behind. Which was reassuring. It meant world still made sense after all. We got the _I’m not angry_ part and Galina was currently sitting through the follow-up of _but I **am** disappointed_…

“I mean… you can’t really argue with facts. This would have been an extinction event,” says one of my fellow renegade sorcerers, attempting to come up with some kind of an explanation. “And to protect this reality we do need to have a planet under us, so…”

“Yes, but we weren’t doing anything to stop _that_ from happening."

“I think that actually makes it better. Well, didn’t it sound like she was kinda proud of us for that? Just focusing on getting the civilians the hell out of there…?”

I just nod because, yeah, she _did _sound proud of us. I’d say as much but that’s when the door opens and our fearless leader steps out. Looking shaken to say the least. But weirdly enough the exact same kind of shaken we all are. Because what I'm reading in her expression is the same kind of _how am I not in trouble _confusion we were all feeling. 

Seeing our exhaustion she gets it all out as quickly as she can. About how we’re something like part-time consultants for SHIELD now. Only to be called to action during real emergencies. “Nick Fury has me on speed dial, basically. And yeah, I’m planning to take the rest of you with me now that I know I can bully you into forgetting the rules and prioritizing saving lives.”

“Yeah, that’s… fair,” admits the sorceress to my left who has serious trouble keeping her eyes open. Adding, almost in the next breath, that since it’s unlikely for SHIELD to have that kind of emergency right now she’s just gonna go.

The rest scatter almost immediately too. Which is really hard to hold against them. We did have one hell of a day. “Can’t believe those idiots actually bought that _those are my people dying there_ line of emotional manipulation,” Galina chuckles when it’s just the two of us. “I mean do I look that Eastern European?”

“You know you do,” I roll my eyes. "You're the one who decided to play that card so don't even try to get offended. God, can you believe..."

“That you didn’t get that guy's number?" she interrupts. "No. I _cannot _believe that.”

I decide I will not be rising to the bait. Instead I just start walking in the direction of the part of the Kamar Taj compound where I can crash for my well-earned week long nap. Well – I feel like I might need a week. It might stretch as far as two if I’m completely honest…

“I mean, seriously. He was _so hot_."

“He still is. He’ll be _so hot _after I no longer feel like a badly animated corpse on the brink of coming to pieces. And why do I feel like _that’s_ what you’ll end up remembering when it comes to this whole mess? Not the robots, not how close a call this was for our species, but…”

“Well, what do you want me to focus on? The fact I think I technically work for Fury now? Not the order mind you - _just me_. And by extension the ten of you because if we’re altruistic idiots who can’t follow a single very simple rule we might as well own it. Which is _such_ a weird punishment.”

“You think that now. Wait until you actually get a call,” I grin.

“Please. He’s not gonna call me unless the sky is falling on our heads. That guy can tell a real emergency from a minor nuisance.”

I find myself nodding because, okay, that was my impression too. Though to be honest I talked to him for less than five minutes so I probably shouldn’t feel _that_ strongly about it. I did, though. I guess today was just that kind of a day. Besides – that was in no way the weirdest or the most intense thing I felt about someone who was by every definition a complete stranger.

“Yeah, I don’t think I want to think about that. I mean _at all_,” says Galina. “And you know what that means.”

“You’re gonna fixate on my sex life instead?” I say, bracing myself for a very emphatic response.

“If you ever bother to get one, sure,” she says, only partially amused as we keep on stumbling vaguely in the direction of our adjoining rooms. “Honestly. Look at your life. Look at your choices... You were a full on renegade sorceress who didn’t give a damn about the rules and killed robots like it was your job which, as we’ve been told several times, it definitely isn’t. You were _that badass_. For all of five minutes. And instead of making the best of it…”

“I didn’t have the energy to make the best of it,” I interrupt.

“What kind of an excuse is that?”

I say nothing. Loudly. For several seconds.

Then, because there's only so long I can keep this to myself and I _really _want to see the look on her face when I tell her - because talk about ending the day on a good note...

"Hey, Galina?"

"What?" she groans, stopping at the threshold of her room.

"Did I ever say I didn't get his number...?"

Her eyes go wide. Her jaw drops. Her _I'm so proud of you_ grin is everything I expected and more. But by far the best part is the fact she actually says it. Out loud. In a dead serious tone.

"I have _never _been prouder of you."

"I did save a lot of lives today," I remind her. Through a grin which kinda ruins the effect.

"Everyone was saving lives left and right. But you," she says, pausing dramatically, "_you're my hero_."

"Idiot," I laugh as I stumble into my room. Feeling sleep descending on me like a pack of psychotic robots as soon as I collapse onto my bed.

I can still hear her laughing one room over_ \- _with a brief break for saying, in a genuinely impressed tone, that she did _not _see this coming. "Go to sleep," I say, thumping my fist against the dividing wall between our rooms.

"You're an absolute legend," she replies, ignoring my suggestion.

Feeling a lot more like an absolute mess I just close my eyes and go dead to the world. That hopefully won't need any more saving this week because I really didn't feel like I'd be up to it. Besides - I was pretty sure I'll have better things to do.


End file.
